here is democratic senator dick durbin today speaking about the possibility of a deal on the fiscal cliff. take a listen. >> pick up any of the hill newspapers and look for the full-page ads. basically saying to the left, keep your hands off the entitlements and to the right, keep your hands off of taxes. well, if both sides heed those warnings, nothing will happen. >> congressman, he's right, isn't he? >> of course he's right. and, you know, we have this new book about thomas jefferson and this new movie about abraham lincoln and that great robert carroll book about lyndon johnson. these were people whose greatness came from understanding that the art -- that compromise is the art of politics. that sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. you have to take things into your own hands in terms of negotiating, making deals, compromising things that you know have to be done for the greater good. the greater good is to put this country onto a path of stable financial security. this can be done, but we have to be willing to negotiate, to compromise, and to put aside the people like grover no